Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2013 | National | HR 3 | Northern Route Approval Act | Bill Passed - House (241 - 175) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | HR 6168 | President Obama's Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act | Bill Failed - House (164 - 261) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | HR 6082 | Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan | Bill Passed - House (253 - 170) |
| June 21, 2012 | National | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
| April 18, 2012 | National | HR 4348 | Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline | Bill Passed - House (293 - 127) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
| Feb. 16, 2012 | National | HR 3408 | Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
| Dec. 20, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
| June 22, 2011 | National | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| May 5, 2011 | National | HR 1230 | Offshore Leasing Act | Bill Passed - House (266 - 149) |
| July 30, 2010 | National | H Amdt 773 | Ending Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling Rigs that Meet Certain Safety Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 195) |
| July 30, 2010 | National | HR 3534 | Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 193) |
| July 30, 2010 | National | HR 5851 | "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers | Bill Passed - House (315 - 93) |
| June 26, 2009 | National | HR 2454 | Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade") | Bill Passed - House (219 - 212) |
| Sept. 26, 2008 | National | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| Sept. 24, 2008 | National | HR 2638 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 58) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | National | HR 6604 | Commodity Markets Speculation Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 133) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | National | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| July 17, 2008 | National | HR 6515 | Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska | Bill Failed - House (244 - 173) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 6251 | Oil Production Leases | Bill Failed - House (223 - 195) |
| June 24, 2008 | National | HR 6346 | Price Gouging Prevention Act | Bill Failed - House (276 - 146) |
| May 20, 2008 | National | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| May 13, 2008 | National | HR 6022 | Suspending Acquisition of Petroleum for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve | Bill Passed - House (385 - 25) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | National | HR 5351 | Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (236 - 182) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (314 - 100) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (253 - 154) |
| Dec. 6, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (235 - 181) |
| July 25, 2007 | National | HR 2929 | Ban on Permanent Bases in Iraq | Bill Passed - House (399 - 24) |
| June 15, 2007 | National | HR 2638 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (268 - 150) |
| May 22, 2007 | National | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| Jan. 18, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (264 - 163) |
| June 29, 2006 | National | HR 4761 | Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 187) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | H Amdt 856 | Outer Continental Shelf Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 203) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | H Amdt 842 | Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (141 - 279) |
| May 10, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | National | HR 3893 | Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (212 - 210) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| April 20, 2005 | National | H Amdt 72 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 231) |
| Nov. 18, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 180) |
| April 11, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 175) |
| Aug. 1, 2001 | National | H Amdt 288 | Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (160 - 269) |
| Aug. 1, 2001 | National | H Amdt 298 | Prohibiting Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 223) |
| July 26, 2001 | National | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| May 21, 1996 | National | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/22 | HR 3 | Northern Route Approval Act | Bill Passed - House (241 - 175) |
| 7/25 | HR 6168 | President Obama's Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act | Bill Failed - House (164 - 261) |
| 7/25 | HR 6082 | Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan | Bill Passed - House (253 - 170) |
| 6/21 | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
| 4/18 | HR 4348 | Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline | Bill Passed - House (293 - 127) |
| 2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
| 2/16 | HR 3408 | Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
| 12/20 | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| 12/13 | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
| 6/22 | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| 5/05 | HR 1230 | Offshore Leasing Act | Bill Passed - House (266 - 149) |
| 7/30 | H Amdt 773 | Ending Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling Rigs that Meet Certain Safety Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 195) |
| 7/30 | HR 3534 | Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 193) |
| 7/30 | HR 5851 | "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers | Bill Passed - House (315 - 93) |
| 6/26 | HR 2454 | Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade") | Bill Passed - House (219 - 212) |
| 9/26 | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| 9/24 | HR 2638 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 58) |
| 9/18 | HR 6604 | Commodity Markets Speculation Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 133) |
| 9/16 | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| 7/17 | HR 6515 | Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska | Bill Failed - House (244 - 173) |
| 6/26 | HR 6251 | Oil Production Leases | Bill Failed - House (223 - 195) |
| 6/24 | HR 6346 | Price Gouging Prevention Act | Bill Failed - House (276 - 146) |
| 5/20 | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| 5/13 | HR 6022 | Suspending Acquisition of Petroleum for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve | Bill Passed - House (385 - 25) |
| 2/27 | HR 5351 | Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (236 - 182) |
| 12/18 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (314 - 100) |
| 12/17 | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| 12/17 | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (253 - 154) |
| 12/06 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (235 - 181) |
| 7/25 | HR 2929 | Ban on Permanent Bases in Iraq | Bill Passed - House (399 - 24) |
| 6/15 | HR 2638 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (268 - 150) |
| 5/22 | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| 1/18 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (264 - 163) |
| 6/29 | HR 4761 | Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 187) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 856 | Outer Continental Shelf Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 203) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 842 | Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (141 - 279) |
| 5/10 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
| 10/07 | HR 3893 | Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (212 - 210) |
| 4/21 | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| 4/20 | H Amdt 72 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 231) |
| 11/18 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 180) |
| 4/11 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 175) |
| 8/01 | H Amdt 288 | Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (160 - 269) |
| 8/01 | H Amdt 298 | Prohibiting Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 223) |
| 7/26 | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| 5/21 | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |